Node.js Mobile App Development: It’s More Than What You Expect.

Node.js mobile app development uses JavaScript as the primary programming language. This decreases development time and thus saves companies a lot of money. Node.js also allows developers to share data easily between the server-side and client-side.

It is one of the most popular platforms for building fast and scalable mobile, and web applications. Node is an open-source server environment built on Google Chrome’s JavaScript runtime.  Many big-name companies including WallMart, PayPal, Netflix, and Uber use Node.js.

What is Node.js

Node.js is an open-source, server-side, cross-platform JavaScript runtime environment that allows developers to build and execute server-side applications. It uses the V8 JavaScript engine, developed by Google for use in their Chrome web browser, to run JavaScript code outside of the browser. This enables developers to use JavaScript not only for client-side programming in web browsers but also for server-side development.

The Node.js project will release new versions of the 12.x, 14.x, 16.x, and 17.x on or shortly after Monday, January 10th, 2022.

There are various Node.js frameworks that help developers create the perfect mobile app for their users.

Name of Framework	Node.js
Launched In	2009
Written By	Ryan Dahl
Written In	C, C++, JavaScript
Repository	github.com/nodejs/node
Popular Apps that Use Node.js	Uber, Netflix, Discord, Airbnb

Types of Node.js framework: How to use them in the best way?

Software engineers build frameworks, optimize, and test them over time. This refines the frameworks to an unbelievable degree of perfection.

Frameworks allow you to focus on the high-level functionality of applications that you want to create. The framework itself handles the low-level functionality aspect.

Here is a list of some of the most popular Node.js frameworks:

1. Ionic

Ionic is one of the Node.js cross-platform app development frameworks. It focuses on bettering the user experience of the developing application. The developer must use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to make the apps on the Ionic framework.

Developers can also use Saas and Angular JS  in this framework. Developers can use this framework to incorporate UI components into their applications. UI components are buttons, navbars, header/footers, etc. The Ionic framework can be used for both Android and iOS making it a versatile framework.

2. Xamarin

Xamarin uses C# and .NET to create a mobile application. It is a free, open-source application development platform for building Android, iOS apps with Node.js.

Xamarin belongs to the .NET dynasty with over 60k community members, who refine the framework over time. Xamarin is generally used when it comes to multi-platform app development. It allows the developers to write a single snippet of code and use it for multiple platforms.

Popular apps made using Xamarin: 

1. Alaska airlines customer applications,
2. CA Mobile for mobile banking, and
3. Novarum DX, a medical app

3. Retrofit

Retrofit is a Node.js framework that is a type-safe HTTP client for Android and Java – developed by Square.

This framework is often used when it comes to Java and Android. Retrofit makes it simple to retrieve and upload JSON via a REST-based web service. In other words, it’s just an open-source java library built by Square. However, Retrofit is incapable of iOS development.

4. React Native

React Native is perhaps one of the most popular Node.js frameworks. It is used to make Android and iOS apps using the same codebase.

Using React Native is one of the best options when it comes to Node.js mobile app development. This is because developers use the same codebase to develop both the iOS as well the Android version which functions smoothly.

It is one of the biggest and most successful projects of all time on GitHub. So, even if you face any problems with the framework it can be easily resolved.

Popular apps like Uber Eats, Discord, and even Airbnb use React Native to develop and maintain their mobile applications.

5. Express.js

Express.js definitely makes it to this list as one of the most preferred Node.js frameworks. Express launched in 2010 and has a simple and minimalistic approach to Node.js development.

It is easier to learn compared to other frameworks. And just the basic knowledge of how Node.js functions will be enough to accelerate your familiarity with this framework. Express is useful in all cases of web or mobile app development on a small or large scale.

Express improves the client-server interaction speed and thus improves the user experience significantly. It also offers many features that take the back-end development to the next level. 

There are many popular apps that use the express.js framework such as Netflix, PayPal, Yahoo, Mozilla all use Express.js. 

6. Flutter

Flutter is used to make 2-dimensional mobile apps for both iOS and Android. It is primarily used to give the user a more immersive experience of the app. 

Flutter markets itself as:

“Flutter is an open-source framework by Google for building beautiful, natively compiled, multi-platform applications from a single codebase.”

This particular framework is also backed and used by Google. Many brands around the world use Flutter as their framework of choice. It is also maintained by a community of global developers. Flutter is the framework of choice if you want to create wonderful UI apps. 

7. Mobile Angular UI

It is used for developing Node.js hybrid apps. It is an open-source framework that is used for making and dividing the portions on your mobile screen.

AngularJS is a front-end framework that is rapidly gaining in popularity. Its features and flexibility receive praise from the community of developers working with it. This makes it the perfect solution to the challenges of building mobile applications.

The AngularUI team took this opportunity to develop a framework that would help developers create great mobile applications. 

Why we should use Node.js for App Development

Using Node.js for app development can offer several advantages. Here are seven detailed reasons:

JavaScript Full-Stack Development

Node.js enables full-stack JavaScript development, allowing developers to use the same language (JavaScript) for both the front-end and back-end of the application. This consistency streamlines the development process and reduces the need for context switching between different programming languages, making it easier for developers to build and maintain applications.

Asynchronous and Non-Blocking I/O

Node.js uses an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model, which allows it to handle multiple concurrent operations efficiently. This is crucial for applications that require real-time data processing or handle a large number of simultaneous connections, such as chat applications, online gaming, or streaming services.

The non-blocking I/O ensures that the server can continue processing other tasks while waiting for I/O operations to complete, leading to better performance and responsiveness.

Scalability

Node.js is highly scalable due to its non-blocking architecture and event-driven nature. It can handle a large number of concurrent connections with a minimal memory footprint. This scalability is crucial for applications that need to accommodate sudden spikes in user traffic or demand, allowing businesses to expand their services without major infrastructure changes.

Large NPM Ecosystem

Node.js comes with the Node Package Manager (NPM), one of the most extensive package ecosystems for any programming language. NPM provides access to a vast collection of open-source libraries, modules, and tools that can significantly speed up the development process. Developers can easily integrate these packages into their applications, reducing the need to reinvent the wheel and fostering a more efficient development workflow.

Real-Time Web Applications

Node.js is well-suited for real-time web applications that require continuous two-way communication between the client and the server. With technologies like WebSockets and Server-Sent Events (SSE), developers can implement real-time features like live chat, notifications, and collaborative editing seamlessly. This capability is crucial for modern applications that aim to provide interactive and dynamic user experiences.

Microservices Architecture

Node.js is an excellent choice for building microservices-based architectures. Its lightweight and modular design make it easy to develop, deploy, and manage individual microservices, each responsible for a specific function within the application. This approach promotes scalability, fault isolation, and independent development of different components, making it easier to maintain and update the app.

Community and Support

Node.js has a large and active community of developers, which means you can find plenty of resources, tutorials, and libraries to assist you throughout the development process. This strong community support ensures that Node.js remains up-to-date with the latest trends and security patches, making it a reliable choice for app development.

Features of Node.js

Asynchronous I/O

Node.js is built on an event-driven, non-blocking I/O model. This means that it can handle multiple I/O operations concurrently without waiting for each operation to complete, making it highly efficient and scalable for handling a large number of concurrent connections.

Single-Threaded Event Loop

Node.js operates on a single-threaded event loop, allowing it to efficiently manage asynchronous operations and avoid the overhead of creating and managing multiple threads. It uses callback functions to handle events and maintain a responsive and performant application.

NPM (Node Package Manager)

Node.js comes with NPM, one of the largest package ecosystems in the world. NPM allows developers to easily install, manage, and share reusable code packages, libraries, and modules, making development faster and more efficient.

Cross-Platform Compatibility

Node.js is designed to be cross-platform, which means it can run on various operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. This makes it easier for developers to write code once and deploy it on different platforms without modification.

Scalability

Node.js’s event-driven, non-blocking architecture makes it highly scalable. It can handle a large number of concurrent connections and is suitable for building applications that require high scalability, such as real-time applications and microservices architectures.

Built-in HTTP Module

Node.js provides a built-in HTTP module that allows developers to create web servers and handle HTTP requests and responses. This built-in module simplifies the process of building web applications and APIs.

Real-Time Applications

Node.js is well-suited for real-time applications that require continuous two-way communication between the client and the server. It enables the implementation of real-time features like WebSockets and Server-Sent Events (SSE) for building interactive and dynamic applications.

Open Source

Node.js is an open-source platform, which means its source code is freely available for developers to view, modify, and distribute. This fosters a strong community of contributors and users who continuously improve and support the platform.

Lightweight and Fast

Node.js is lightweight and fast due to its event-driven, non-blocking design. It has a minimal runtime overhead and starts up quickly, making it suitable for various applications where speed and efficiency are crucial.

Most Popular Node.js apps: 

A lot of popular applications are being built using Node.js. In this article, we would like to share some of the most popular Node.js mobile apps. This will give you an idea about the type of applications that can be built using Node.js.

1. PayPal

The reasons for PayPal’s choice of technology were simple. It had to ensure alpha performance, support millions of transactions every second, and should be future-ready. To meet these demands, PayPal turned to Node.js.

PayPal is the biggest name in online payment and they have recently released an open-source library that uses Node.js.

PayPal’s famous for its cutting-edge technology. It was the first to introduce person-to-person payments via email. They were the first to allow people to send money with friends on Facebook and it was the first to let you pay from your messaging app. So perhaps it’s no surprise that it’s now the first to use Node.js.

2. Netflix

The Netflix Cloud uses Node.js on the backend. It is a JavaScript-based server-side engine that allows it to scale easily to accommodate its massive growth.

It is a much better choice for high-performance, real-time apps, and is being used for everything from building websites and mobile apps. Node.js is used to power e-commerce platforms and SaaS products.

Netflix is currently using Node.js to handle the volume of requests that it gets on a daily basis. This makes Node.js, one of the most popular frameworks for building scalable network applications.

It was a little over a year ago when Netflix decided to use Node.js for its web services. And now, it has become one of the most important components in the company’s quest for scalability.

3. Uber

Uber is a mobile application that is used/meant for car tracking, car booking, and taxi booking. It is using Node.js mobile app development as a core framework for its mobile as well as web application development. Uber is using Node.JS as a middleware technology to connect front end web with back-end services and databases.

They are famous for being one of the latest big-name companies to use Node.js on their product. They are a hugely successful company and are now worth over $50 billion.

4. eBay

The twenty-six-year-old auction site uses Node.js to build its mobile apps. Their mobile app is among the most popular in the world, generating significant revenues for the company.

Why? Node.js is open source and is a pragmatic programming environment that allows developers to write code quickly. While doing the same it does not sacrifice reliability or expressiveness. eBay is now using Node.js to develop its next-generation payment platform. This proves that Javascript is a great language to use for e-commerce.

It is great to read about the innovative companies that use Node for backend processes. eBay is one of them. Mark Mehdizadeh at eBay shared his experience with Node.js. Here is a quote from him:–

The next app on my list was creating a listing tool that could create and publish new listings in real-time. This app also had to support multiple marketplaces, so we decided on a Node.js Express stack with MongoDB. Click To Tweet

5. LinkedIn

LinkedIn has announced  (2011) that it is adopting the use of Node.js for the development of its web applications. This was a big deal for the Node.js community as a whole and is one of the first major high-profile companies to make such an announcement.

LinkedIn has been around for quite a while and today it is the most popular professional social network. It uses Node.js based on their experience of using it in their mobile apps. They found that using Node.js app servers instead of a normal web server improves their performance in production significantly.

6. GoDaddy

The website builder and web hosting provider have announced that it has started to use Node.js on its backend. And, the decision was taken in order to manage internal tools, services, API, and public website features.

Node is a server-side runtime environment that is designed with Javascript. It is able to communicate with the frontend (aka the user). It is a lightweight platform that is easy to spin up, deploy and develop apps with.

GoDaddy has also added Node.js to the list of supported languages for their Go Central service. GoCentral is a platform for developers to help them easily deploy, manage and host their applications on the cloud.

GoDaddy also offers support for PHP, Perl, and Python when it comes to application deployment on their GoCentral platform.

How much time does Node.js mobile app development take?

Well, this is a loaded question. It all depends on what you are going to develop. Node.js comes with a set of tools that makes it easy for developers to create the application. When you choose a framework than the time consumption changes. 

If you are using any Node.js template then the app development timeline will get stretched if you are choosing the non-template option. But, on average it takes around 3 months to develop an app using Node.js. 

One of the key factors in deciding which technology to use is the cost associated with it. This is especially important if we are talking about a startup or any other small business. Here, you need to make sure that your investment is worthwhile and that you get the most out of your marketing budget.

Conclusion

Overall the Node.js framework has made significant improvements over the years in the accessibility of mobile application development. Many companies and developers are using Node.js.

The framework and its use have helped companies immensely.  It has facilitated the development of high-performance applications with greater flexibility and less time to market. 

It also provides a robust debugging platform that can be used to develop scalable applications for different platforms and devices.

Idea Usher has access to the tools and the skills that you require in order to create a beautiful application using Node.js. The team has access to all the necessary tools and resources required by your Node.js mobile app development project. 

With a reasonable budget, you can develop the best Node.js mobile application with us. You can contact us if you want to build a Node.js mobile app that will dominate the market in 2022.  

FAQs

Q. Is Node.js Scalable? 

A. Node.js is extremely scalable due to its load balancing. 

Q. Can we use Node.js for large applications?

A. Node.js uses JavaScript which runs on event loops, it is not that efficient when implemented in bulk. But, it is still an extremely capable option when creating large applications. For example Netflix, Uber, etc. 

Q. Is Node.js simpler to learn than Java?

A. Yes, Node.js is far simpler to learn than Java and has a less steep learning curve.